1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to well tools and, more particularly to apparatus and methods for installing well tool devices in offset receptacles of side pocket mandrels in predetermined oriented relation therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been common practice for many years to equip wells for the practice of gas lift techniques to enable gas to be injected into the well to enhance production where formation pressures are insufficient to provide acceptable production. It is common practice to equip gas lift wells with side pocket mandrels and to use kickover tools to install gas lift valves or other well tool devices in or to remove them from the offset receptacle bores of the side pocket mandrels. Many wells, especially deep or deviated wells, have been equipped with orienting type side pocket mandrels, each having an orienting sleeve therein. Orienting type kickover tools has been used with such orienting side pocket mandrels, such orienting kickover tools, each having an orienting key for engaging the orienting sleeve of an orienting type side pocket mandrel to orient the kickover tool about its longitudinal axis to align its orienting key with the mandrel's orienting slot so that, upon activation of the kickover tool, the gas lift valve or other well tool device carried by the kickover tool will be position above and in axial alignment with the offset receptacle bore. Thus, orienting side pocket mandrels and orienting kickover tools are well known in the gas lift art.
Orienting kickover tools for use in pumpdown wells are shown at least in U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,313 which issued Oct. 13, 1981 to Harry E. Eschwegman. Orienting kickover tools for use with wire line are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,489 which issued Aug. 6, 1974 to Harold E. McGowen, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,490 which issued Aug. 6, 1974 to Howard H. More, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,001 which issued Apr. 8, 1975 to William B. Goode. All of the just-mentioned patents show orienting type mandrels. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,527 which issued June 8, 1982 to Robert S. Higgins and David T. Merritt, shows orienting side pocket mandrels of both the pumpdown and the wireline type.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,827,489; 3,827,490; 3,876,001; 4,294,313; and 4,333,527 are incorporated herein, by reference thereto, for all purposes.
Applicants are not aware of any prior art which teaches installing a device in the offset receptacle of a side pocket mandrel in a specific predetermined oriented relation therewith.